Indians wing Gulls; stumble at YC

Tribe plays it smart against Seaside; falters after tying YC

The Indians and Yamhill-Carlton squared off Friday in a battle of the last two unbeaten league teams and it was a much closer contest than the final score, 68-51, showed.

The Indians played a tight first quarter with YC, fell behind in the second, tied the game late in the third, but then lost on threes and free throws in the last period.

We came back and tied it, then they made shots and we didnt, Scappoose Coach Rahim Tufts said. Then we had to foul to try and come back. We need to take better care of the ball and need to knock down shots.

The Indians were down by three after one period, 13-10, but it was the second period that put YC in front, 34-21. The Tigers went to the line 13 times in the second quarter and connected on 10. Both teams had four field goals in the third.

The Indians seriously cut into the YC lead in the third period. They held the Tigers to just two points for the first six minutes, while scoring 15 and tying the game. YC pulled ahead in the last two minutes, but led just 41-38 going in the fourth.

YCs Gabe Findley pumped through some big threes early in the frame, and the Tigers held off Scappoose with free throws over the last six minutes. They went to the line 16 times and connected on eight. Findley had three 3-pointers in the final period. The Indians were outscored 27-13 in the last quarter.

Zach Smith led Scappoose in scoring with 19 points, while Chris Tinning hit two threes and was second in scoring with 10 for Scappoose.

Last Tuesdays game with Seaside did not start well for the Indians, but they didnt get flustered, came back and outsmarted Seaside in the end for a 43-40 win.

Neither team could do much offensively at the outset, but the Indians found themselves down 11-4 by the end of the first period. It got worse as the Indians fell behind by 10, 18-8, with a little over four minutes to go. The game became a lot more interesting in the last four minutes of the frame. Zach Smith sank two free throws and Paul Revis followed with one. Smith pulled down the rebound when Revis missed the second free throw and put it back in. It was just a five-point game. Mitchell Davis hit the next shot for Scappoose, and then Chris Tinning scored at the minute mark. Now it was only a one-point game. Tinning would go to the bucket again just before the half and Scappoose led 19-18.

The Gulls looked like they might pull away again, but each time Scappoose responded in the third. A Revis three tied the game. The game stayed even until the last couple of minutes when Seaside dropped in a deuce and a trey to take a five-point lead.

The Indians kept coming. They were down by seven with five minutes left and went on a 10-2 run to take the lead. A three by Tinning, a bucket by Smith and then solo free throws by each gave the Tribe a 41-40 lead.

The Indians started running down the clock and ran over two minutes off. Smith then drove in for a wide open shot and Scappoose was up by three.

Seaside might have hit a tying three-pointer, but the Indians smartly had fouls left before reaching the bonus and used them to quell the Gulls momentum. All Seaside could manage was an off-balance shot from near half court as time expired. It was surprisingly close, but bounced off the back rim.

The Indians finished up the first half of league play with a game against Astoria on Tuesday. They start the second half with Tillamook at home on Friday.